One plan in particular, recently unveiled in the Budget 2016 will have significant impact on all areas of the financial services sector. The Government will replace the current statutory financial guidance providers with a new model. The idea is to merge The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) and Pension Wise in order to remove all duplication across pension guidance services. It makes perfect sense to provide a one stop shop for all pensions guidance, rather than continuing wi

This week saw the chancellor unveil his 8th Budget, bringing some good news for small business owners, by expanding and making permanent business rates relief and relaxing the restrictions on Entrepreneurs’ Relief. Savers breathed a sigh of relief as a much needed plan to provide real incentives to save, specifically for the under 40’s, was unveiled via the introduction of the Lifetime ISA (LISA). The LISA can be opened by anyone aged 18 to 40, and the savers will be able to

The financial services sector will be all too familiar with the workings of The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is a controversial, all-be-it necessary independent regulatory body, put in place to protect consumers and prevent malpractice within financial services. All financial advice firms must be authorised by the FCA to carry out regulated financial service activities. Because the FCA is funded by the very sector that it regulates, it is perhaps understandable th

The best possible return on an investment is surely the ultimate goal for anyone looking at alternative options to significantly boost their earnings and take a step closer to sitting pretty in retirement. With so many options on the table and the requirement to navigate a seemingly endless avalanche of change relating to tax, how can individuals ever feel secure that they will reap the benefits of their investment decisions in years to come? The pensions verses property inve